Small boat migrants charged with child sex offences

Seven Afghan nationals, alleged to be part of grooming gang, accused of 40 offences in total Daily Telegraph 22/05/26 Seven Afghan nationals who came to Britain via small boats and lorries have been charged with rape and child sex abuse offences.

The refugees, allegedly part of a grooming gang, are accused of sexual offences committed between August 2023 and May last year, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). They have been charged with a total 40 offences altogether as part of an investigation into group-based child sexual exploitation in Norwich. Police arrested seven men during raids on seven different addresses, six in Norwich and one in Dumbarton, Scotland. The men appeared before Norwich magistrates’ vourt on Friday. A courts service officer said that all seven were remanded into custody until a plea hearing at Norwich Crown Court on June 19. Jamil Khalil, 20, Ahmadin Ahmadzai, 21, Qais Kaker, 20, Fazal Auryakhel, 20, Mohammed Farooq Sinwary, 23, Ali Ahamad, 21, and Sayed Wahid Davdzai, 20, all came to the UK via small boat or lorry. Their immigration status is “refugee”, the CPS said. Police said: “None of the suspects charged with the above offences have lived at asylum hotels in Norfolk, and none of the offending in these offences happened in asylum hotels.” ‘We will do everything possible to protect children’ Det Supt Stacey Murray, of Norfolk Constabulary, who is leading the investigation, said the victims’ safety and well-being were the force’s primary concern. She added: “A dedicated team continues to work solely on this to examine every available line of inquiry and gather evidence, while respecting the traumatic experiences of the victims. “We know from our work with the National Association for People Abused in Childhood that victims may choose if, when or whether to come forward. The investigation and justice process can feel overwhelming, and risk may still be present.” Supt Craig Miller acknowledged that the case would be “shocking to our communities”, saying: “This type of case is very upsetting, and I want people living and working in Norwich, as well as the wider communities of Norfolk, to know that we will do everything possible to protect children from abuse and exploitation.” He added that officers would be present in Norwich and neighbouring areas over the next few weeks “to provide reassurance”. Jenny Hopkins, the chief crown prosecutor for the CPS’s organised child sexual abuse unit, said: “Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings. “We have worked closely with Norfolk Constabulary as they carried out their investigation.”